St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-19
This is the Claim of Tallmadge
Lambert, a Young Attor- \
ney Of Washington.
He Claims a Title in a Large
Tract of Land on the
Banks of Phalen..
The Story Of the Property and
On Which the Attorney
Bases His Claim.
Legal Steps Taken to Settle
the Knotty Questions
A Strange Story.

A young Washington lawyer who has
attained some prominence in the capital
city, discovered about year ago that
he might become a millionaire if his
claims to property in st. Paul and Min
neapolis were satisfactorily established.
His name is Tallmadge A. Lambert,
and he represents himself to be
the son of David Lambert, who
helped to organize the territory
of Minnesota, and afterward
threw himself into the Mississippi from
the deck of the old steamer, DIR. Frank
lin. He has commenced proceedings to
establish his title to ATS acres on the
shores of Lake Phalen. This property
is valued at least at half million dol
lars. The st. Paul Harvester Works is
located upon part of 1T, the st.
Paul & Duluth, and the Mime
apolis, Saltwater & Taylor's Falls
railroad rights of way run
through it, Ames' out lots, Cruikshanks'
garden out lots, j. n. Rogers addition
and other property has been plated
upon it, and large number of persons
are affected by this suit. The proceed
ings are directed against Washington
NJ. Stees. of 4SS Grand avenue. the furnl-
ture manufacturer, whose advent to this
city and business dates from 1850. The
case was commenced last May, and
Judge Eller. Mr.. SteeS' attorney, has
been engaged in taking dispositions.
David Lambert was a newspaper man
of Arkansas and Wisconsin. He came
here in 1S4S, and was candidate for the
territorial legislature. A man of con-
siderable ability and literary accom-
pIishment, he was trusted friend OF
Dr.. Andrew Bell Patterson, an EpiScO-
pal clergyman of Princeton, n. D., who,
in 1859, was rector of st. PauPS church
in this city. DR.. Patterson had purchased
some soldiers land warrants, which were
drug upon the Eastern market, and
sold over the bank counters at from
s145 to $50 apiece. These warrants
were each for 160 acres of land. and Dr..
Patterson visited st. Paul in 1919. looked
over the situation. and then made David
Lambert his agent to locate
HIS LAND WARRANTS.
He left the matter entirely in MIR.
Ialnbert's charge, and went home to
Princeton. Mir. Lambert located
three land warrants Oct. II, 1S49, and
tie following November he committed
suicide, but, instead of locating the
warrants in DR.. PatterSon'S name, he
put them in his own.
His brother, Henry A. Lambert, had
Just been appointed judge of probate.
His mother. on her own application,
was appointed administrator OF David
Lambert's estate. She soon filed re-
port on the land warrants, and honestly
represented to the court that her son
had had no interest in the land, and
that it properly belonged to DR..
Do This yyac tha first case in
the Ramsey county probate court. On
her report Judge Lambert made de-
cree ordering that the blanks should be
filled in with DR.. PatterSOn'S name and
forwarded to Washington. But the
Washington land department took no
notice Of the transfer, and sent the pat
ents here made out to David Lambert
instead of DR.. Patterson.
Again Judge Lambert made
a decree ordering his mother
and all of his brothers heirs to assign
the property over to DR.. Patterson. A
deed was made out accordingly and
duly recorded. and DR.. Patterson was
placed in undisputed possession of his
property in August, 1852. DR.. Patter-
son then sold it to Judge Lambert in
September, and Judge Lambert sold it
to Allan Pierce in 1854. Allan Pierce
from whom Washington SteeS pur-
chased his 1913 acres in 1867. Mr.. Stees
held the property until about year or
so ago. when he made contract to sell it
to J. C. Stout, and Stout made another
contract to sell it to the syndicate, in
which William Lindeke was interested,
getting $4,000 earnest money down.
The syndicate purchased the property
with view of inducing the BOhn Man.
ufacturing company to locate there.
Now both the syndicate and J. G. Stout
are anxious to back out. The st. Paul
Harvester Works is upon the old Oliver
Ames property, except three acres
which Mr.. Stees gave the company.
Charles Corning has the title to the
harvester works 100 acres now. Oliver
Ames had the land in cultivation for
nearly thirty years.
Now. it has been popularity supposed
that David Lambert had no children
affidavit from Harry Lambert, son of
Judge Lambert, stating that he died
without issue.
DAVID LAMBERT'S SUICIDE
was ascribed to domestic troubles at the
time. according to the history of this
county. Most of the old settlers who
knew about the PattersOn-Lambert
matter are now dead, and DR.. Patterson
is dead also, so this weakens the testi-
mony of the present owners. of the
land. All of the above story, however,
isa matter of record, and is on file with
the probate conrt.
The one proposition upon which
young Lambert bases his claim to al
most 81, 100000 worth of nicely lying
real estate is that the probate court had
no equity jurisdiction and no power to
order the transfer of the land to DR..
Patterson. Of course Mrs. Lambert and
Judge Lambert enjoined themselves
and their heirs from ever making any
claim upon the title by their voluntary
action in assigning the land to DIR. Pat
terson, but he contends that he himself
was one heir of David Lambert, who
took no such course, and that as the
warrants and United States patents for
about $3.50 worth of property were in
his fathers name, he is now heir to ST.